Hyderabad: The Telangana Backward Classes Commission on Tuesday conducted its second day of public hearings regarding the inclusion of 26 castes omitted from the Telangana BC list since the state’s formation. The hearing was attended by BC Commission Chairman G Niranjan, members Rapolu Jayaprakash, Tirumalgiri Surender, Bala Lakshmi Rangu, Deputy Director U Srinivasa Rao, Special Officer G Satish Kumar, and Research Officer G Lakshminarayana. During the hearing, the Commission examined 56 representations. Representatives of Gavara, Turpukapu (Gajulakapu), Settibalija, Nagavamsam, and Koppulavelama appeared before the Commission and requested that their castes be included in the Telangana BC list. On this occasion, Andhra Pradesh Rajya Sabha MP Paka Venkata Satyanarayana and AP Labour Minister Vasamsetti Subhash spoke on behalf of the Setti Balija caste.

Conversely, representatives of various castes belonging to the Telangana BC ‘A’ group appealed to the Commission not to include the 26 omitted castes. The public hearing is set to continue on Wednesday at the Commission office.